Flowery Branch, Ga. -- At one point during the open locker room media session Friday, Sean Weatherspoon put on his helmet and started his "popping and locking" dance moves, with other linebackers joining in behind him.

It was for the unit's weekly "D-Block" show for the team website. "Warden" and head coach Mike Smith even stopped by the left corner wing for a visit, much to the delight of the rest of the locker room.

"This is a group that likes to have fun," Smith said. "They like to work hard. When you have that combination and you understand the magnitude of the games that you're going to be playing in at the end of the season, it will help you be relaxed. I think it's important to be relaxed.

It's easier to be chilled out after the Falcons got their first playoff win in four tries under Smith on Sunday against Seattle.

"It's good to get that first one out of the way," quarterback Matt Ryan said, "because there are a lot of other questions you have to answer. That can be distracting at this point. But we've been loose all year. We were loose last week."

The Falcons don't even care that they're four-point underdogs to the 49ers, even though Atlanta is the No. 1 seed and playing at home.

"It's cool, it's cool," Weatherspoon said. "Nothing like hearing what you can't do, and going out there and proving people wrong."

"Keep questioning us," cornerback Asante Samuel said, talking directly to football fans. "We love to go out there and play with a chip on our shoulder. Don't give us the respect until it's all said and done.

"We're going to earn it. We have our hard hats on."

Those helmets will come in handy, as the Falcons plan to do something the Packers didn't do last week: hit 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick hard when he's running around carefree.

"If you get an opportunity to blow somebody up and make a statement, that's what you want to do," Falcons safety William Moore said.

Moore and Weatherspoon played against Kaepernick in college, in 2009, and their Missouri team beat his Nevada team 31-21.

They don't necessarily agree with those who say that last week's win over Seattle's Russell Wilson was a good dry run for facing Kaepernick. Kaepernick, they say, is faster and looks to run more than Wilson does.

"Once he tucks it in, he is going to run," Weatherspoon said, "where Wilson is always putting the ball back up, because he wants to throw it before he crosses the line of scrimmage."

The 49ers have a lot of different looks offensively, and Weatherspoon said the key for the Falcons is, "Don't be surprised."

"He likes to run outside, so you have to force him inside," Weatherspoon said. "The Packers let him get outside, and typically that falls on one player. His responsibility is to stay outside, and that's what he has to do. Make sure the quarterback doesn't get around you."

Samuel said Kaepernick also prefers to throw deep rather than short, and the Falcons will use many looks to try to confuse the second-year QB.

"We've gotta try and take his confidence away," Samuel said.

The Georgia Dome crowd could give the Falcons a hand there. Tight end Tony Gonzalez said last week's crowd was the "loudest I have ever heard here."

No, it doesn't matter how good Kaepernick looked last week, Sunday can't come soon enough for the Falcons.

"Love hearing we can't stop Kaepernick," Weatherspoon said. "We want the challenge and look forward to it. It will be fun."